Trouble by Taylor Jamie Beckett

too.
They tried to form units with one another. Many times it worked
well. Sometimes it didn’t work out. They always took something out
of these interactions whether good or bad.
    +++++
    Byron and
Natalie came out of the 290 seat theater and were separated from
Matt. They went up to the ramparts and admired the breathtaking
view.
    They
stood closely together in deep thought.
    “ There seems to be a lot going through your mind,” Natalie
said.
    “ A teen thinking deeply can be stormy,” Byron said
cryptically.
    “ Why?”
    “ I’m too embarrassed to tell you.”
    “ Try me.”
    “ You won’t get angry with me?”
    “ Let me hear it first.”
    “ As I held you in the Station I couldn’t help noticing that you
were very pretty and vulnerable.”
    “ You mean I’m pretty when I cry?”
    “ It brought out other hidden qualities in you. You saved
Quentin. You believe in yourself. You have inner strength. I know
I’m rambling.”
    Natalie
was going to make a comment but thought better of it and remained
silent.
    “ I want to be part of your scene. You had chosen Russ so I
waited. Then he moved out of your orbit (he paused) and here I
am.”
    She
seemed to be genuinely at a loss for words.
    “ I had this overwhelming urge to kiss you at the Station as I
held you. Then I thought that would be unfair.”
    “ A brotherly kiss.”
    “ What I was thinking of was a passionate French kiss where time
sort of stood still.”
    “ Sort of Romeo and Juliet.”
    “ Minus the suicide bit. I’d like to do it now.”
    “ You mean over here with all these people watching?” she
whispered.
    “ They’re watching the great city below them and even the
galaxies. And we’ll just kiss for maybe 3 minutes. That hardly
counts in light years.”
    “ You sound very persuasive.”
    Byron
knew he was taking a gamble by making this ultimatum at this
delicate time, so soon after her break up with Russ. He felt that
if he waited longer, she might move on to someone else. She would
make a decision on whether she was the right one for him. He held
her tightly and kissed her passionately. He wanted to go deeper
into her life and he sensed from her subtle body language that she
was unwilling to go into unexplored territory especially as she had
to deal with the trauma of an absent dad. She was also rattled by
his cherubic face. The thoughts and passions behind the face ran
deeper and she was unwilling to commit to an obsessive kind of
love. She didn’t mind kissing altar boys on the cheek but
passionate kisses took her into unexplored territory that could be
very exciting but also emotionally draining. He knew the moment
that the kiss ended that she would discourage him in the politest
way possible. She had come into this relationship looking at him as
a brother rather than a boyfriend. That was his disadvantage from
the beginning. He had forced the issue but from her subtle
gestures, he could sense that she had not changed her
mind.
    From his
vantage point hidden from them, Russ watched the unfolding scene
with bitterness and anger. “You slimy little creature, you couldn’t
wait one day to get your lips on her body. Well I have a little
surprise for you all,” he said triumphantly as he moved
off.
    She
touched his face. “You have a nice tender face.”
    He was
about to kiss her again and then he stopped abruptly, “Oh my God.
Okay admit it,” he said forcing a smile.
    “ What?”
    “ The sensitive face thing.”
    “ I said tender.”
    “ I sometimes hate my face.”
    “ I know. That’s why I said you have a nice face and you should
love yourself. You’re unique.”
    “ Tender face.”
    “ Well I just meant that. Nothing more.”
    “ You think I kiss like a girl.”
    “ No. I mean that you’re a caring kind of a guy. You’re the type
who’d make love rather than screw a girl.”
    “ Don’t they mean the same thing?”
    “ The screwers usually boast that they have spread their
tadpoles in the pool.”
    “ And the